Murder of Innocents
by Artanis Calanor
Summary: Christina and her centuar friend Staryte must uncover the mystery of the unicorn deaths in their forest before its too late.
1. Prologue

((Christina and the Sricalian Forest were invented by me, all Hp characters and places are copyrighted by J.K. Rowlings.))

_Prologue_

_Christina shivered as she looked at the bright splotch of silver that covered the side of the great oak. Unicorn blood was a rare sight in the forest and she looked cautiously around her before following the trial of blood deeper._

_She tread softly over the leaves in her bare feet avoiding anything that would make noise and alert the "thing" to her presence. She didn't exactly know what the "thing" was but she had seen it twice before and knew it was responsible for the death of three unicorns in the Sricalian forest in the last week._

_She came upon a clearing and saw what she had been dreading. The magnificent stallion lay on its side in a pool of silver blood. She walked over to it and knelt by its side. Tears of sorrow welled in her eyes as she looked down on the miracle before her. Hoping beyond hope it wasn't to late she laid one hand on the deep gash in the creature's side and touched the other lightly to the tip of the clear crystal horn._

_She slowed her breathing and concentrated on directing her healing powers into the horn and used it to heal the wound and stop the flow of blood. What felt like hours later she raised her head and tried to focus. She waited...waited...waited, willing the creature to live._

_Finally the unicorn opened its eyes and looked deeply into hers, and she nearly wept with relief. As they gazed into each others souls Christina realized that this beautiful, innocent being was thanking her and telling her that everything would be all right. Exhaustion overcame her and she slide sideways onto the forest floor into the black._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Christina woke with a start, for a moment she didn't know where she was or what she was doing, then she remembered the Unicorn. Tears formed in her eyes as she remembered that special magic. After a few minutes she composed herself and started off for home.

Christina had once lived in a house in London like any other young carefree muggle girl; until her life had changed forever. But that was in the past. As she gracefully walk along she suddenly stop at a huge oak tree, reaching out Chris touched a knot in the tree and a small hidden door opened. She walked in and headed up the staircase that was carved into the walls; she stopped when she came to her room and flopped into her hammock and drifted off into sleep again.

_A little girl with long black her and bright green eyes stared up into the stars as her mother held her hand. Mother...tall, beautiful, elegant, and graceful. The child laughed happy as she watched a comet fall through the heavens._

_"Chrissy, one day you will understand what is going to happen, but for now I will explain as best as I can." Mother gently picked up the girl and set her in her lap. "I..." She trailed off as a rustling nearby was heard. Quickly she set the child down and stood up to face the sound of the noise. Suddenly, out of no where a dark figure approached the woman and child._

_"Irena," it said in a cold high voice "did you think that I would not find you, that I would let you go so easily?"_

_"Tom please listen I beg you just listen" Mother pleads her eyes wide with fear. "I didn't mean to..."_

_"Of course you didn't MEAN TO!" The harsh voice cut in sharply. "They never MEAN TO but they do ANYWAY!" The cloak figure raised a wand and shouted something strange. Six-year-old Christina watched in horror as a bright green light erupted form the wand and engulf her Mother._

Seventeen-year old Christina woke with a start drenched in sweat and shaking in fear. She hated that dream, more than words could say. She had been having it since that dreadful night had happen and it was reoccurring more and more recently. Rubbing at her aching eyes she stumbled down the stairs into her kitchen and began making a pot of tea. Her thoughts settled on the events that proceeded that terrible night.

Being only six Christina hadn't understood what her mother had meant or who the cloaked figure had been. The voice had been shrill high and full of hurt and anger. Now she knew why her mother had tried to warn her about things to come.

Mother had been a half-elf half-fairy, one of seven to ever exist. She had Christina with a wizard, which made Christina 1/4 elf, 1/4 fairy, and one half wizard the only one to ever have such a rare combination. It explained her powers though, she had the power of a wizard but required no wand or incantations, she had the ability of growing wings and flying as did all fairies, and she had the build and character of the elves in addition to their healing powers.

She sighed heavily. These powers had been a gift and a burden since the day she had discovered them. Oh well, back to the Unicorn problem with that she went to the self and pulled down several herbs, and black scrying bowl, and several books on Unicorns and other strange beasts.

Her main concern was why the thing was attacking Unicorns in the first place. She flipped through several books before finding what she wanted. Looking down at the old musty book she read:

**Unicorns are among the most beautiful**

**creatures in our world. They are also the purest**

**and the most innocent. Because they cause no harm**

**to anything and are 'sinless' there blood has a**

**magical property, it can extend the life of a weak**

**or dying person. BUT there is a drawback, because**

**the drinker has harmed or killed something so perfect,**

**from the moment the blood touches their lips they will**

**live a cursed half-life. Several say that it would be**

**better to die than to live this life of pain, shame,**

**loneliness and fear.**

There was a lot more but that was all she needed. Of course, what other possible reason was there to kill a Unicorn. The horn and tail/mane hair could be purchased and that would far easier then tracking and wounding a Unicorn. Those things were fast and damn near impossible to catch, she should know.

_Okay, so now I have to track a desperate and possibly dangerous dying person...or thing. What fun_. Christina had never come across something so serious before and wasn't sure if she would be able to deal with this or not. She decided to get a second opinion.

She swung on her cloak and step outside into the fresh air. She winced as the bright sun struck her eyes. Shielding her eyes she began to walk in the direction of the centaur village. She darted around low hanging branches and jumped over fallen logs, nimbly made her way through swamps and dense undergrowth all the while causing little damage to nature and leaving barely any footprints. That was just one way that being part elf was useful, no trail to follow.

After half an hour of backtracking and sneaking Christina reached the home of her good friend Staryte, the centaur. She banged on the wood that covered the small cave entrance and waited, after 30 seconds she banged again. This went on for about 10 minutes before the centaur pushed back the barrier.

"Good 'eavens! W'at are you t'inking? Waking up a chap at the break of dawn?!" He blinked and yawned and then proceeded to scratch himself. (Very uncentaur like behavior.)

"Its two o'clock in the afternoon." Christina stated while trying to hide her smile. Staryte had been banished form his herd years ago and now lived the life of your average bachelor. He also didn't have the snobbish 'I know everyting' attitude that most centaurs had and for that Christina was grateful.

"Oh! I see. Well, you're quite right aren't ya?" He glanced around and then smiled at her. "Care for a spot of tea then?"

"Yes please, I need to talk to you about something important though."

Staryte looked suspicious for a moment, "It wouldn't require any life or death situations at this very 'our would it?"

Christina grinned, "No, not at this present moment."

"Al'right then. Come in and make yourself at 'ome.''

Christina followed Staryte into the cave and immediately made her self at home. Sitting down in a large overstuffed chair beside the fire as Staryte started making the tea.

"So w'at brings you 'ere today littl'on?" Staryte asked with genuine intrest as he glanced at her somewhat tense profile.

''Well... I'm sure that your aware of the unicorn problem that we've been having lately right?"

"Aye, and w'at a dreadful business it is too." Staryte shook his head sadly.

"Do you have a theory of whom or what it might be?" Christina asked hopefully. She valued her friend's opinion and as a centaur he had access to knowledge that she didn't.

"Well," Staryte began, "I'm not quite sure, truth be told, the 'eavens have been hazy on that topic for some time now. All I'm privy to is that its somat 'orrible and its not gonna end all to well." He face was grim, "Can't be werewolves, or any other beast, not near quick e'noff for a unicorn. And wizards are scarce in these parts, so, we can definitely say its somat new."

"Yea, those are the same conclusions I drew a couple nights ago." Christina tried not to be disappointed in the lack a higher help. Oh well, the stars were like that. "I found another unicorn last night." She said after a moment's silence.

Staryte looked worried, "Another dead? That makes t'ree this week."

"Two."

"No, t'ree. The foal in Charlin Glen and that big ol' stallion by the Ottiarin River."

"Yes, I know, but only those two died." Christina grinned as Staryte slowly caught on.

Staryte's expression of confusion was replaced by one of utter amazement. "You heal this 'on?" He asked as though he didn't believe it.

"Yep,'' Christina nodded."He was a beautiful stallion, nearly 18 hands. He was barely alive when I came upon him, the thing was still there but it left when it saw me. The blood loss was really severe..."

"Christina?" Staryte asked warily.

"...that took awhile but the worst part was trying to get the tissue damaged repaired..."

"Christina."

"I healed him, I actually helped him survive!"

"Christina, I know but w'at..."

"Oh Staryte!" She exclaimed suddenly, making him jump slightly. "After I saved him, he looked at me in a way I will never forget. He looked deep into my eyes, like he was trying to see my soul, I'm sure he was. Then...then...he..thanked me." She said in wistful wonder, "that great, powerful, magnificent creature said thank you, to me." She trailed off into silence, a wide simile across her face.

"That's very nice, now, back to the t'ing." Staryte said in exasperation.

"What?" Christina pulled her self out of memory lane and back to the present. "What thing?" She asked, puzzled.

Staryte chuckled, there was no greater joy to an elf then the magic of healing, and only being part elf, Christina was no exception. Then he became serious again, "The t'ing you saw by the unicorn, the t'ing that ran away."

"Oh, well..." Christina bit her lip and looked a little sheepish. "I really didn't get a good look at it, I was more concerned with the stallion at the time."

"Understandable lass, but can you remember anything at all?"

" Who or whatever it was, was covered in a tattered black cloak. It looked up and its mouth and front was drenched in sliver blood."

She shuddered. "It had been drinking out of the gash in the unicorn's side." It made her sick just thinking about it. She gained her composure and continued, "It looked at me and then fled, I couldn't see his face because of the hood but its eyes were, oh, I don't know, reddish? Maybe?"

"Creepy" was all that Staryte had to say.

"Tell me about it." Christina sighed and looked down. She realized she was still holding her tea. Although it was cold she drained it quickly in one gulp.

"So, lass, w'at do you figure?" Staryte stared at her intensely, "Are you going to solve this mystery or just sit back till it blows o'er?"

Christina gave him a pixie grin, "What do you think?"

Staryte sighed. "I should have known better." He paused for a moment and then looked at her warily. "I take it that you would like my 'elp, no?"

''Of course I want your help!"

''That's what I was afraid of. Well, let's talk it over some more and consider our options."


End file.
